DNA Actually Looks Like A Big Ball Of Yarn

Textbooks have taught us that DNA is structured like a long, winding staircase. But we haven't known what it actually looks like — until now.

Scientists created the first 3-D structures of intact genomes — complete sets of DNA as they actually look in the cell. The images show how DNA folds to fit inside a cell's nucleus, which makes it look more like a wadded-up ball than the spiral strand we're used to seeing.

The 3-D structures add to previous research about how cells tightly wind DNA in order to fit it inside.